It's stingy, poor at communication, and is one of the least exciting-looking games I've played in a long while.

In spite of all that, some people seem to like it. So, I wanted to put a quick guide together to ensure that those people get the most from their time with the game.

Let's crack on, then, shall we...

Master the horse

To be a top Horseworld 3D: My Riding Horse player, you'll need to ensure you've got the movement of your horse down to a fine art, as some of the later levels in the Riding Ring are pretty tough to get the medal on.

Get comfortable with the device you're playing with, and find a decent position to give you full access to all the controls. I found that holding the right-hand side of my iPhone with my thumb and middle finger running along its bottom and top edges gave me the chance to use my first finger on the acceleration control.

In modes that require jumping, I also held the device in my left hand, with one finger hovering over the 'jump' button. This meant that I could move into different speeds easily, tap 'jump' when needed, all the while being able to easily tilt the phone gently from side to side for full control.

Caring tips

Caring for a horse in real life? Difficult. Caring for a horse in HorseWorld 3D: My Riding Horse? Incredibly easy.

Still, there are a couple of things you can do to maximise your time and effort in the stables.

Every caring action is most quickly achieved by rubbing as fast as possible in a horizontal or vertical motion on the screen. But, when you're called upon to pick out dung from the horses hooves and then polish them, you need to adopt a slightly different tack. For this particular caring action, make a small circular rubbing motion for the best results.

You should bear in mind that each time you perform any of these actions, you're earning experience, which builds up your overall level. This then grants you access to new events in the various modes. So, make sure to stop by the stables regularly to give your horse a boost of energy, and a shot of XP.

It's also worth thinking strategically about which actions to perform first so that you maximise your experience-earning potential.

Rather than start with brushing and working your way up, plump for the final option (clearing out the hay) and work backwards, for the time it takes until you can use these high XP-earning activities once again is longer the further through the list you go.

After you've worked your way through them all, you can return to a few of the earlier ones - which comparatively take no time at all - for more experience.

Fastest times

You'll want fast times in the Riding Ring, as this seems to be the biggest defining factor in achieving the coveted stars and medals for each task.

In Riding Ring events, keep one eye on the ground in front of you. On the ground, you're shown the path to the next gate, as well as a colour indication on how fast you need to be moving and any areas in which you must come to a full stop.

It's much easier to do this than read the accompanying text, so get familiar with green representing 'walk', orange meaning 'trot', bold red equating to 'gallop', with circles marking areas in which you must halt. Regarding halting: remember that you only need to cease moving for a fraction of a second, so be ready to move immediately after you have done so.

You can also veer from the designated path without too much fear of reprisal, especially if by doing so you are going to produce a seriously fast time. So, don't be afraid to stray.

In the same vein, you can gallop all the way up to a gate that asks you to walk through it without penalty so long as you walk the final few inches past it.

Out in the Countryside, make sure to plan your route accordingly on the map shown beforehand for the fastest times. It takes a few moments to memorise which turns you'll have to take, but it'll help in the long run.

Got any tips to share? Let us and the rest of the PG community know by leaving them in the comments section below.